Open-type feed-water heater.



C. McCLENNY.'

OPEN TYPE FEED WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.Z0, 1914.

1,174,882. v Patented Mar. 7,1916.

THE COLUMBIA PMNOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, D. c.

CHARLES MCCLENNY, F LOWELL, ARIZONA.

OPEN-TYPE FEED-WATER HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. '7, 1916.

Application filed April 20, 1914. Serial No. 833,205.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES MGOLENNY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Cochise and State of Arizona, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Open-Type Feed- Water Heaters; and I do declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in feed water heaters employing the exhaust steam from an engine for, the purpose of supplying the heat for raising the temperature of the water to be fed to the boiler.

I am aware that various devices of this character have heretofore been patented and manufactured. Practical experience, however, proves that the majority of heaters of this type, are impractical in certain details.

The primary object of my invention, therefore is to improve the construction of open type feed water heaters to such an extent as to render them simple and inexpensive in construction and highly efficient in operation.

In carrying out the above end, I provide an upright tank, a transverse diaphragm therein, a water spray nozzle above the diaphragm and a steam inlet below the same.

A secondary object of my invention is to so construct and position the diaphragm as to cause the same to readily heat any water which may collect thereon.

Still another object of the invention is to provide simple and eflicient means for automatically controlling the level of heated water within the tank.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the surplus steam, escaping from the heating tank, will be partially condensed.

With the above objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and combination herein described and claimed and shown in the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved feed water heater; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown my improved feed water heater as comprising in general, an upright tank 1, a transversely disposed diaphragm 2 in said tank, a water spray nozzle 3 above the diaphragm, a steam inlet 4 below the diaphragm, a surplus steam outlet 5, a number of inclined baffle plates 6 therein, and means for automatically regulating the amount of water discharged from said nozzle, and consequently, the level of water within the heater.

The tank 1 is preferably of cylindrical formation and may be constructed in any suitable manner, a plurality of sections of boiler plate being preferably employed. The lower end of the tank 1 is provided with a funnel-shaped bottom 7, said bottom having a discharge opening which establishes communication between the interior of the tank 1 and a valved drain pipe 8. The upper end of the tank 1 is closed by a substantially cone-shaped top 9, the surplus steam outlet pipe 5 rising from said top and being provided, as before stated, with the bafile plates 6. The plates 6 are preferably disposed as shown in Fig. 1, the inner edges of one vertical series projecting between the inner edges of the other series. By this positioning of the plates 6, an appreciable amount of the steam exhausted through the pipe 5, will be trapped and, therefore, condensed into water.

The diaphragm 2 is perforated throughout its area and is provided on its periphery, with a depending flange 10 which is secured by means of rivets 11 to the wall of the tank 1. As clearly shown in Fig. 1, the diaphragm 2 is disposed directly above the steam inlet 4, this positioning being found most advantageous by practical experiment.

The water spray nozzle 3 is preferably carried by an elbow 12 which curves downwardly from a feed water pipe 13, the latter projecting through one side of the tank 1 and having a water controlling valve 14: which is substantially in the form of a globe valve, the main difference being that the conical "alve 15 moves toward the pressure when opening.

For the purpose of automatically operating the valve 15, I provide said'valve with a depending stem 16, which projects slidably through a stufiing box carried by the casing 14, said stem being pivotally connected at its lower end to a transversely disposed lever 17 which is pivoted, intermediate its ends, to an arm 18 which depends from the pipe 13. Pivotally connected to the free end of the lever 17, is an adjustable link or rod 19, which projects into a float receptacle 20, and is connected to a float 21, the area of the lower end of said float being approximately the same as the area of the bottom of the receptacle 20, which receptacle is in communication with the interior of the tank -1, by means of a pipe 22, said pipe entering the tank near its lower end.

. I have provided the baffle plates 6 for the purpose of retaining a great deal of water which would otherwise escape, thus economizing to appreciable extent. For the purpose of further economizing, in the amount of water, I provide the pipe 13 with a branch pipe 23 which leads from said pipe, through the wall of the tank 1 and is connected to any one or a number of traps from which water of condensation may be supplied. If, however, it is not nec-,

essary to employ the pipe 23, the same may be closed by a suitable valve (not shown).

The operation of the device, when the pipe 13 is connected to a source of supply and the pipe 4 is connected to the exhaust port of the engine, is as follows: The tank 1 being entirely empty, will cause the float 21-to fall, thus opening the valve 1 5 and allowing water to be sprayed from the nozzle 3 upon the diaphragm 2. When now the engine is set in motion, the exhaust steam, coming therefrom, will be forcedthrough the pipe 4 beneath said diaphragm, thus raising the temperature thereof to a sufiicient extent to effectually heat the water sprayed from said nozzle. It will be. understood that the steam rises through the perforations in the diaphragm 2 and mingles with the water sprayed from the nozzle 3. The surplus steam will now rise and, on account ofthe positioning of the baffle plates 6, will be retarded in its escape, thus condensing an appreciable amount thereof into water, whichwater will now fall upon the diaphragm 2 and-will be again heated, after which it will flow to the lower end of the tank 1 tobe employed as the supply for the boiler, an outlet pipe 24 leading from the interior of the tank for the purpose of conducting the heated water therefrom. As-the water level within the tank 1 rises, the float 21 will, of course, rise thereby closing the valve 15 and preventing the inward flow of water. When, however, the level within the tank falls, the valve 15 will again open and more water wil lTbe discharged through the nozzle 3. F or the purpose of preventing the water level with in the tank 1, from rising above arpredeter From the foregoing description, 'takenin connection with the accompanying draw-.

mgs, it will be readily seen that I have pro duced a comparatively simple feed water heater which will be highly efficient inoperatlon and. which, will be inexpenslve 1n f construction. J e d Although I have described my inventlon ment and form of parts, I do not Wish. to be limited to details of construction, arrangement of parts orcharacter of materials, otherwise than as set forth in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, deslreto secure I what I claim asnew-and by Letters Patent-1s: I .A feed water heater compr sing an up;

right cylindrical casing havingfa 'coneshaped top and an lnverted cone shaped bottom, a valved drain pipe in the apex'of said cone-shaped bottom, a steamoutlet pipev secured in theapeX of the cone-shaped top, baffle plates formed in said outlet pipe, a

perforated diaphragmsecured 'midwaythe ends of'said cylindrical easing, a water inlet pipe extending through the casing above the diaphragm and having a spray nozzle on its inner end, and a cutoff valve located on the exterior- 0f the casing, an upright float tank adjacent the lower end of the casing, a pipe leading from said tank to saidlower end of the casing,a float in said valve forclosing the latter when the former is raised, a branch water inlet pipe extending through said casing, a' steam inlet pipe into the casingbelow the diaphragm and. above the pipe leading to the tank, and a hot water outlet from said casing belowthe steam inlet.

. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set a 11 0 my hand in presence .of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses: FRED C. FENDERSON, J. R. TATE.

Copies of thisjpatent maybe obtained for five cents each, by. addressing the Commissioner (if Patents Washington, I). C. I

CHARLES ueoLENNv' 75 with considerable minuteness as-to arrange- I tank, connections between the float and the. 

